“You can have more than one friend?” O’Malley was shocked by this new knowledge. The idea of having more than one friend was so hard for him to comprehend.

“Don’t you have other friends?” Laura asked.

“No.” He replied still in a daze, “You’re my first.” Their footsteps echoed quietly through the corridor and the florescent lights on the ceiling flickered. It wasn’t long before the passageway came to a fork. To the right the corridor had been stacked with several boxes and was strung with cobwebs, but the corridor was still manoeuvrable. To the left the passage was empty except for some eerie, echo-y noises.

“Left or right?” Laura asked O’Malley.

“Madpup! Will you be my friend?” Penguins begged, reaching out her hand to pat him.

“No.” Maddog snapped his teeth at her extended hand.

“Madpup! Will you please be my friend?” Penguins begged, reaching out to pat him.

“No.” Maddog snapped at her hand.

“Madpup, be my friend?” Penguins reached out to pat him.

“No.” Maddog snapped at her.

“Madpup, please be my friend?” Penguins begged.

“No.” Maddog snapped.

“Madpup, be my friend?”

“No.”

“Madpup –”

“No.”

Till Hammerette was less than impressed by Tom’s offer and her glare clearly reflected her feelings. “Alright, Tom,” Till said his name as if it tasted bitter in her mouth, “if you want a kiss, why don’t you kiss this!” Till pulled out her Hammer of Massive Clobbering and swung it at Tom’s head.

It hit him directly in the mouth and he stumbled backwards, falling over and landing flat on his rear end. “Ow! Oooww.” Tom wailed, “Why’d you do that? That was so mean!”

Till grabbed Tom’s collar and pulled him to his feet. “Tell me where I can find Zella or I’ll hit you again.”